In a rant so salty it could make a sailor blush, Rhodes repeatedly called Hillary a "big f***ing whore", to both cheers and jeers from the audience. The afternoon drive talker was there on behalf of Air America at an event sponsored by the local affiliate.

UPDATE: word late today is that Rhodes may not be returning to Air America Radio anytime soon, which is a surprise. Could this really be a broke network's way of forgoing Randi's huge salary? Consider this: the incident occurred two full weeks ago, on 22 March. What explains the delay in her removal? Certainly, there wasn't a public controversy to deal with, almost no one not in attendance that night even knew about it.

In a short and cryptic statement from Air America Radio's new chairman, a vague reason for her suspension was given:

STATEMENT OF AIR AMERICA RADIO, FROM CHAIR CHARLIE KIREKERBy air america

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 3, 2008

New York - Air America has suspended on-air host Randi Rhodes for making inappropriate statements about prominent figures, including Senator Hillary Clinton, at a recent public appearance on behalf of Air America in San Francisco which was sponsored by an Air America affiliate station.

"Air America encourages strong opinions about public affairs but does not condone such abusive, ad hominem language by our Hosts," said chair Charlie Kireker.

Has any other major American talk show hose ever made a such a fantastic speech on Democratic politics that comes even close to this one? As far as I'm concerned, it is just plain flat out brilliant--rhetorically, but also in capturing a lot of nuance about the left in America. It is so far above the standard we're used to from our talk show hosts....

The speech was a moment that Rhodes made great through the seriousness, intelligence, eloquence, and courage of what she said. I don't recall another speech about liberalism with as little pandering or posturing or shying from awkward points, and as much honest attempt to explain and connect, as this one.

GOOGLE-"MY LIFE AS CO HOST WITH SHOCK JOCK PERRY STONE" read entire article. Randi goes after Susie Austins job because Randi knew Perry Stone was making alot of money.WHO'S THE WHORE-RANDI?And what would Randi's gay audience think of her when we post audio of her cackling at Stones endless "homo" jokes.

Remember folks that there would be no suspension, indeed no controversy, if the target of this drunken, witless slut were not a scion of the Democrats. Be preprared. This probity will absolutely NOT extend to McCain and I hope he is ready for that. We have a one-time good deal here; even the Democrats are not stupid enough to do this twice; divide so profoundly and bitterly. Limbaugh is on the right track, if your neighbor's house is burning (politically) lend him your garden hose and pump gasoline through it.

This unhinged, unintelligent, and (most damning) unfunny radio voice has had her self-destruction coming for a long time. She's discovering what we've known for a long time - liberals eat their own. All I can say is bon appetit.

This was not a radio broadcast on the public airwaves-- it was a stand-up routine at a small private event, so the Imus comparisons are a bit unfair.

Randi can be abrasive at times, but she's one of the only hosts that talks about complicated issues, like the fact that the current administration doesn't represent real conservatism. She has well-respected guests like John Dean and Jonathan Turley. And most of all, she always encourages her listeners to believe nothing that they hear on radio and to check all the facts for themselves.

If Rush or Hannity's listeners did that, they'd realize that they're listening to scripted comedy shows that aren't generally based in fact.

The good news is that it's heart-warming to see how concerned the conservative right is with Hillary and Geraldine and their feelings. We're making progress after all.

Randi Rhodes thought she could say anything. Well now she knows that is not true. There are reports that the converstaions between Sean Hannity and Hal Turner may be made public. I wonder if Sean may be effected if the tapes are real.

Wait now. Was she talking about Bill or Hillary? Because maybe she "misspoke" and meant that Bill was "f***ing a big whore". That would put her into Carville territory for sure, but it would still clear her so she could go back on the air.

This proves my point, AAR is not a Liberal/progressive network, they are now are officially a DNC network. Maloney is actually right on this post, it was not the language it wasa the victim of the attack, Hillary Clinton. AAR, non objective "D" over America radio, the same way conservative radio takes party over country, AAR is the same exact way now.

In other words, if your a host on AAR, you can not dare attack a democrat. The suits at AAR do not get it, progressives do not want cheerleading radio, to progressives it is not "D" over "USA".

and Rasndi is hysterical, Rush has not been funny since 1988. Calling veterans "phony soldiers" is not funny.

This is the same situation as ESPN's Dana Jacobson found herself in back in January, when at a non-televised roast of fellow ESPNer and Notre Dame alum Mike Golic, she got up at the roast and said "F--- Notre Dame" "F--- Touchdown Jesus" and "F--- Jesus". That rant also took a couple of days to get out into the public, but forced Jacobson's bosses to act once it became known.

It was not a broadcast event, but still an event associated with the network, and that resulted in a one-week suspension. Rhodes is in the exact same situation here (plus James Carvelle's Judas remark about Bill Richardson shows some Democrats still think of Hillary as Jesus), so Air America's action is in line with what a much larger and much higher-profile network did just over two months ago.

She calls the President Hitler and skates. You go after the wife of Don Clintony and your lucky she didnt end up like Vince Foster. This fat pig should thank God she is still alive. I love hearing the Demos devouring each other though.

Randi is not fat and Rhodes is funier than any whining effeminated sissy on RNC radio, and Rhodes is one of the only hosts in America that actually served her country. Levin, for all his pandering of the military, never served a second anywhere in the military.

Why are you wing nuts attacking our veterans??? You should be defending her, she was targeted and attacked by the DNC. AAR should be ashamed of themselves for pandering to the DNC and the Democratic party, they are not a liberal network they are a DNC network. When was the last time an actual progressive was a guest on AAR, Howard Zinn? Noam Chomsky?? Any member of a socialist party in America? NEVER

At this point, I hope AAR goes under. Rhodes does not need AAR, she has had a good radio career and will find other work, hopefully where she does not have to pander to conservacratic candidates with "D" next to their name. If ditto-man called Hillary a whore, you wing nuts would pee your pants, why is it not funny when Randi says it? Your love of Ditto is pracically homo-erotic at this point.

And of course that is not what Rush said. He called Jesse MacBeth a phony soldier. If Mop ever decided to be accuate in any of his postings he would have said:

Calling the liar, Jesse MacBeth, who never served in Iraq as he stated; never was an Army Ranger as he said; never got the Purple Heart he claimed; never saw the war atrocities he mentioned; and was kicked out of the military after 44 days of boot camp as a "phony soldier" is funny.

But the concept of MOP speaking the truth is just like expecting Rhodes to speak with a civil tongue.

Im glad ytou agree with me, but Limbaugh 5 minutes after the fact mentioned McBeth, the only phony soldier against the war, to cover his tracks. By saying what he did he called the entire I.V.A.W group phony soldiers, they held a confrence, 3 weeks ago, all vets, REAL VETS, all against the war. Limbaugh's dishonesty was an insult to those men and women who served and spoke out.

I always tell the truth Benson. Now Benson, you should defend Rhodes a veteran being attacked by the DLC for criticising Hillary and BITCH would have been a better word than "whore", her husband is the "whore" !!!! I would defend a wing nut if he/she weas tossed of the air for attacking Hillary. As much as I despise Wing nut radio, I support Free speech and so should you

Yes, and he also mentioned McBeth in a 2 minute long morning monologue before the phone call. It was obvious his discussion pertained to the liar McBeth. To assume it applied to all veterans who disagreed with the war is ludicrous.

No problem with Rhodes and free speech, unless she is acting as an employee of a company. And as Brian pointed out: "The afternoon drive talker was there on behalf of Air America at an event sponsored by the local affiliate."

Air American acted responsibly and correctly which is a first for them.

Freedom of sppech means the government can not curtail your speech. It does not mean, as you obviously misconstrue freedom from consequences. Thus if you tell your boss you are certain he is descended from pigs and apes, he may well be offended and decide that you no longer can wash cars for him.

Back to the couch in mom's basement and a sack of stale chips for you.

When you show up as a representative of your employer and make a fool out of yourself, you also make a fool out of them. I am sure that there is plenty in the yakker contract that permits AAR to act to make sure their reputation ( whatever shreds they have left ) is not sullied by an idiot deranged employee.

Why did this particular comment got her in trouble when other equally flametastic ones didn't? Ask Don Imus. For that matter, ask Bubba the Love Sponge, for those of you who know FM radio. Action gets taken when enough outrage gets directed at the guys writing the checks.

Is this partisan in this case, in the sense of attacking your own being more likely to piss people off than attacking the other guys? Sure. But with all respect, don't suggest this is some kind of unique property of "lefties." Rush could say much worse about Clinton and, well, make a lucrative career out of it. If, on the other hand, he cracked jokes about how Bush was a proto-fascist not fit to lick Barry Goldwater's boots (and probably not able to spell "boot," let alone "Goldwater"), I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that the angry letters that would pour into Premiere Radio from conservatives would not be fierce defenses of Rush's free speech rights.

Poor Randi. She spoke truth to power -- probably for the first time in her life. She should have known that the Clintons are desperate right now. She couldn't have engineered her Air America demise any faster if she had told whore jokes about Stabenow's husband.

I see Brian Baloney is still alive and well acting as a F----ing whore for the reich wing. I guess Michael "savage" weiner, Pus Limpballs, Glenn Fecal Beck and the rest of the reich wing girly boys don't count when it comes to daily tirades.....

The problem I had with Randi was that she was turning off a lot of folks with her anti Hillary hate speech 24/7. The base of the Democratic Party is women. Many women are ticked off with the progressive hosts who do nothing but spit hate at Hillary. We are all in this together, but Randi was acting like Hillary was the enemy. Obama supporters seem very naive. How do they expect to win without the Democratic base? Many women will not vote for Obama. They will just skip the presidential race. This will only give McCain a win. So what have we gained by ticking off women????